Farrell: Red Sox will support any pregame protest

Sunday

Sep 24, 2017 at 11:25 PMSep 24, 2017 at 11:27 PM

Tim Britton, Providence Journal

CINCINNATI – One day after Oakland’s Bruce Maxwell became the first major-league player to kneel during the national anthem, Red Sox manager John Farrell said the organization would support any players who chose to protest pregame.“If they were to choose to express themselves in the way we’ve seen other athletes in other sports, we would fully support them,” Farrell said Sunday morning in Cincinnati. “We strive to create an environment that’s inclusive. We would have their back as an organization if that’s the expression they chose to do; it’s their constitutional right. There’s a lot of division that is currently in the forefront of a lot of people’s mind, and the more united we can become, that is a goal of all of us.”

Farrell said he was unaware of any Red Sox planning such a protest. He said he respected the way Maxwell went about it with the Athletics, meeting with his team and the front office beforehand to prepare them for what he was going to do. Maxwell, who was born on a U.S. military base where his father was stationed in the Army, told reporters in Oakland that he was “kneeling for the people that don’t have a voice.”

“We’re not blinded by what goes on outside the ballpark,” said Farrell. “We can live in a bubble at times. We pay close attention to what goes on in quote-unquote the real world.”

Colin Kaepernick was the first professional athlete to kneel during the anthem at the start of last football season to protest police violence. Dozens of players have kneeled since, with the practice drawing renewed ire from the president during a speech in Alabama on Friday. The president then retracted an invitation to visit the White House to the NBA champion Warriors on Saturday, citing the team’s hesitation to accept.

While baseball has not been the target of the president’s criticisms, Farrell said many of his players feel a kinship with those in other sports. He also mentioned the diversity within his own clubhouse, which currently includes players from seven different countries.

“That’s what makes this game so great. Baseball, more than any other sport, is clearly a melting pot – and I say that with all due respect,” Farrell said. “We have players from all different walks. There’s socioeconomic backgrounds that are so diverse, and yet we come together because of one thing and that is a great game. We respect their backgrounds, we respect their opinions. I think it makes us a better team and a more wholesome team because of the differences that we have.”

Nuñez passes test: Eduardo Nuñez passed his most important test to date on Sunday, as the infielder was able to run the bases before Boston’s 5-4 win in the series finale against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Nuñez could return to the lineup as soon as tonight as the designated hitter against the Blue Jays.

“I feel really good,” Nuñez said. “For the first time I pushed my leg so hard, so we’re going to see how it’s feeling (today).”

If Nuñez doesn’t feel up to par today, he’ll likely take a few more days off before ramping up to run the bases again.

Nuñez has been out since Sept. 9 with a PCL strain in his right knee. Sunday was the first time he’d run the bases since suffering the injury on a slide into second base that night.

“I’m excited,” Nuñez said. “To see these guys work so hard to get to the playoffs, I’m excited to be back.”

Farrell said he’d like to build Nuñez back up to game speed through the DH spot. Boston is slated to face left-handed starters today and Wednesday against Toronto, so the Sox can DH Nuñez and play Hanley Ramirez at first base. That may be their alignment in the postseason against a southpaw.

“He’s very important to us,” Farrell said.

Fister pitches better: Doug Fister pitched better than his final line suggested on Sunday.

Fister allowed three runs on nine hits in 51/3 innings against the Reds, but the movement and pinpoint command of his two-seam fastball was as good as it has been all season.

“He was as crisp today as he has been in some time,” Farrell said. “He deserved better. We can play better defense overall.”

Fister struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk, thanks largely to the command of that sinker.

“Today the fastball was working,” he said. “Being able to mix that in and depend on it was a big key for me.”

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